The Fin Review today (Wed 21st) had a piece about QF monitoring the finance situation in Europe and may,
pull out of FRA and may,
at a cost return leased aircraft back earlier.

That would be right! FRA is the only service Qantas has left into the heart of Europe, as distinct from those small western offshore islands. One stop from the East Coast, more direct routing than via Dubai. And they slip out a cancellation hint just before Christmas, when no one is watching. Any excuse for a cutback. Gotta love these guys!

IA- you are correct. The usual 'Pacific' configuration out of SYD and occasionally still MEL is 14P, 66J, 40PremiumY, 187Y = 307. Out of BNE usually a lot more seats as no P, fewer J and more Y.
As much as pilots are used to thinking about fuel [damn all else to think about for 14 hours sometimes] you are also correct that it is more about yield management and overall costs, especially the financial costs [leasing, depreciation etc.].
If there were only 260 pax on a Transpac 747 in the leadup to Xmas then the yield management and advertising people are seriously overvaluing their contribution to the enterprise.

" QF International - 14 Aircraft total by 2021!! "

Remember, It is a long way to 2021 and things always change.

Thats right you may be operating with 0 aircraft
or 100 aircraft instead of the planned 14.
But which option do you honesty think is more the likely.

I remember hearing a story a little while ago that in the "early days" of negotiation for the recent EBA, AJ said to the AIPA reps at one point :

We don't know exactly what Qantas is going to look like in 5 or 10 years time, we don't even know if it will still be an airline. But it will be a successful business.

When considering the future success, or otherwise, of Qantas, I find myself being drawn back to that statement.

It seems unlikely to me that AJ has ever spoken to the AIPA reps. That's not how it works. You think the CEO has time or inclination to talk to negotiating workers?
Doesn't sound like much of a 'vision statement', anyway. Hmm, a cruise line, bus company, waste management perhaps? Actually, the last would be a pretty good fit.

It wasn't a negotiation meeting. It was one of several meetings that members of the executive attended with various reps of AIPA, I'm not specifically talking about people on the negotiating team. And whist I wasn't there personally, my source for the story was pretty reliable. ;)

Oh and I agree, 'waste management' is pretty close to the mark!

It appears to me that Qantas plans to become a Travel Agency ... rather than an airline :confused:

Peuce - I've been saying that for years. :cool:

Another Aircraft Retired
 

And lets not forget the contingency for the now known problem with the 380 wings.:D

VH-OJN.

"Second of two Boeing 747-438s ordered new by Qantas - January 31, 1990

Rolled off the Boeing production line at Seattle (Everett) - September 26, 1991

Powered by Rolls Royce RB211-524G2 engines

First flown as N6009F - October 15, 1991

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-OJN - November 7, 1991

Registered to Sidney Aircraft Ltd, Grand Cayman, British West Indies

Leased to Qantas Airways Ltd, Sydney

Aircraft named 'City of Dubbo' at Seattle - November 7, 1991

Accepted by Qantas at Seattle (Everett) - November 7, 1991

Ferried Seattle-Vancouver as QF7414D (Capt D. Massey-Green) - November 7, 1991

Operated first revenue service Vancouver-Sydney as QF531 - November 8, 1991

Arrived Sydney at conclusion of delivery flight - November 10, 1991

Delivery route: Seattle-Vancouver-Sydney

Registered to Montana Leasing Ltd - May 3, 2006

Leased to Qantas Airways Ltd, Sydney as registered operator

Current with Qantas - 2011"


Courtesy - aussieairliners.net.



My Italics. Registered to a leasing company = asset stripping. Nearly every decent airline in australia has suffered this fate.

They are all gone.

CASA search indicates registration currently held by Qantas Airways Ltd.

There would be a lot of factors... But maybe it was due for a major check.

CASA Catchup?
 

An a/c could be gone from the Australian registry for three years before CASA knows anything about it

The email i received from Qantas said that the fleet in 2021 will consist of
100 738's (not sure if they are going to be ZK registered)
14 A380's
28??? a330's (they are receiving all of Jetstars A330's).

Fingers crossed that AJ will be gone in the next few months.

Read today that that low cost BA mob will be adding a 3rd daily LHR-HKG service to replace the withdrawn QF service. Silly buggers will be using unsuitable B777s:p

Why choose 777's? Ridiculous choice. They should have asked Alan and his lap dogs for strategic direction,he could have told them that the 330, hell the 380 and a handful of stone age 747's and 767's is a much better choice!
Wait til Alan leads QF through China and Europe and into Russia!! He can buy some Tupolov's to add to the fleet. He is a little like Alexander The Great isn't he? Small man, intelligent in some ways, but deluded by fantasies of global domination with a relatively small force of willing and able soldiers up against a wily opponent.

By 2021, most of the A330's will be 18-19 years old. So Qantas will still have tired old aircraft while Jetstar (overseas) and RedQ will get all the new B787's etc.

I also read (the email from Qantas) that the 787-800 range and fuel efficiency isnt as good as it was designed to be and wont suit Jetstar and Jetstar plan to hand over 787-800's to Qf when Jetstar receive the 787-900's.

So at the end of the day Qf still end up with the wrong aircraft. :ugh: